16 Heeled Mules That Prove They’re The Ultimate Happy Medium

Your shoe closet probably houses a bit of the two extremes: A bunch of super-flat flats you wear for a late-night grocery run and some extra-high heels reserved for special occasions. But when you think about it, isn’t it the shoes that fall in between that get the most wear? The platform sneakers that make you look taller than you are, or “grandma” heel that’s your go-to for work meetings — these are the happy-medium shoes that get us through most days.

That’s exactly the category the heeled mule falls into, too. It’s not too casual yet not too dressy, either. It’s not too high yet not too low, not too sexy yet not too conservative, not too daring yet not too boring. Thus it’s safe to say that everyone should have a pair.

It’s still up for debate whether a mule must be closed-toe to make it a mule — if it’s open-toe, doesn’t that make it a slide? — so with that in mind, we’ve combed the internet for the best closed-toe heeled mules on the market just in time for transitioning seasons (fingers crossed that this is indeed our last winter snowstorm). Click on to find the happy-medium pair for you.